The Ondo State Government on Wednesday said it had begun registration of farmers as part of its efforts to reshape the future of agriculture and boost food production in the state.

To this end, the government called on all farmers across the 18 local government areas of the state to register in an ongoing, open-ended farmer census.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agric and Agric-Business, Mr. Wemimo Akinsola, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Akure, the state capital.

According to him, the registration was not just a formality, but for the government to have a database of all the farmers in the state.

He said, “We need to know who our farmers are, what they grow, and where they farm, and we need to be able to assist. This aims to build a comprehensive database of farmers to enhance food security, ensure direct support, and usher in a new era of structured, data-driven agricultural planning.”

Akinsola, who commended the farmers’ efforts in tackling food scarcity in the state, noted that Aiyedatiwa had declared an executive order on agri-business as part of efforts to reposition the agricultural sector, with land banking as a major focus.

He also emphasised that the exercise was continuous, without a time frame, and was open to all farmers, irrespective of political affiliation or financial status.

“You can register on your phone. You can come to our office and register. You can go to your local government and register.

“This registration is very, very important. The state will know you as a farmer,: he explained.

He stressed that the registration has commenced with cocoa farmers under the state’s Cocoa Revolution Initiative, and will extend to maize and cassava farmers later.

He added that plans of the government to establish a tractor unit in each senatorial district to assist farmers during the planting season was ongoing.

Also speaking, the Administrative Secretary, Ondo State Agric and Agri-business Empowerment Centre, Mr. Femi Iwajomo, described the registration as a farmers’ census for accurate data collection and planning. (The PUNCH)